SEA SIGHTS A SHARK A ^VRECK. 15 



as if stung by a nettle. At night they give out a phos- 

 phoric hght. 



Now we were flying along with a fair wind and fine 

 weather to our new home ; the ocean had that deep 

 transparent blue which almost enticed one to leap into 

 it, to sleep in peace within its depths. My contem- 

 plations were interrupted by a sight that made the 

 peaceful sleep rather doubtful — the dorsal fin of a 

 shark peering above the surface as the ship glided by. 

 The idea of coming between the triple row of teeth of 

 such a monster was any thing but poetical. My atten- 

 tion was soon drawn to another object, to which we 

 came nearer and nearer, lying dark on the water: at 

 first I thought it must be a rock, and asked the mate, 

 but he said there was no rock in that direction, and 

 that it must be something floating — and so it was ; as 

 we passed it, it turned out to be a wreck. Nothing is 

 more adapted to damp the spirits on board a ship than 

 the sudden appearance of such a "memento mori," to 

 remind one of that journey which awaits us all, in 

 which a wreck may be our starting-point, and a shark 

 the first station. 



On the 30th the wind was unfavorable, with a hol- 

 low sea ; those good people who had nothing to do, be- 

 came, as usual, sea-sick ; the others managed better. 

 Suddenly our messmate the doctor came with a pale 

 and alarmed countenance, to tell us that the smallpox 

 had broken out on board ; a little girl had it very 

 violently, and of a bad kind. The carpenter had has- 

 tily to fit up a place used as a store-room for ropes ; 

 she was removed thither, away from the other pas- 

 sengers, and the general apprehension was somewhat 

 allayed. 



